Does the name Jérôme Masi ring a bell? This tenacious designer and illustrator has spent his career creating gorgeous, colorful works that dazzle audiences of all backgrounds.
His approachable style has earned praise and interest from art lovers and commercial businesses alike. But Masi’s art is more complex than it seems on the surface.
So, we decided to learn more about this artist who contains multitudes.
Let’s dig in!
The Story of Jérôme Masi
Jérôme Masi was born in 1977 in France. From a young age, he was interested in art and often sketched and drew in notebooks. Masi credits his early interest in art to his father, who worked as an interior decorator.
Painting was a revelation to Masi. After experimenting with paints, he quickly put sketching aside. Masi also developed an interest in digital design when the medium became popular in the 1980s. These two interests led Masi to pursue an illustration degree at the Émile Cohl School, which he completed in 2001.
Masi worked in the gaming industry after completing his degree. He eventually started his own design studio, where he’s been creating pieces in his unique style for the last 12 years.
Today he primarily creates digital art on commission, using his personal time to paint and create silkscreen images. His work can be seen in both advertisements and art galleries. Masi lives with his family in Annecy, France, near the scenic Alps.
What Inspires Jérôme Masi’s Art?
Masi is inspired by mid-century design aesthetics and creates clean, minimalist work in bright colors. Although he likes his art to retain an air of mystery, he’s open about creating work that speaks to the world around him. In an interview with the magazine Puzzzle, Masi says, “I like to represent silences, thoughts, interiority. It’s a way to stretch time.”
The wild colors in Masi’s work show his fondness for contrast. Motion and stillness, cities and nature, and darkness and light are inspirations that are visible in his designs. His bold pieces communicate a sense of possibility to his audience.
What Does “To Create Is To Live Twice” Mean?
In his essay “The Myth of Sisyphus,” Albert Camus wrote: “To create is to live twice.” This quote became a personal credo for Jérôme Masi. The artist discusses Camus’s quote in several interviews and even uses it in his Instagram bio.
Camus’s quote argues that the act of creation itself is a distinct form of living. There’s life as it relates to our bodies and worldly experience, and then there’s life as it relates to our art and inner experience. The contrasts in Masi’s work seem to be inspired by these two kinds of living.
Does Jérôme Masi Have a Book?
Masi works as a commercial illustrator in addition to his personal art. He has provided illustrations for four music books. His first book, Rock Pop, features portraits of stars like Michael Jackson, The Cure, and Madonna.
He also created images for a second book, Black Music, focusing on Black music pioneers such as Miles Davis, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and Kanye West. The artist’s next project was Music Legends, a book on 40 pop music greats from Elvis to Daft Punk.
In 2019 Masi lent his artistic talents to Black Music Greats, which shares the stories of 40 more musicians like Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, and Snoop Dogg.
Masi’s artwork truly complements the book’s subject matter. His bold vector illustrations provide the perfect pop aesthetic you’d expect from a book on modern and contemporary musicians.
Who Has Jérôme Masi Collaborated With?
Collaboration is an inspiring and vital tool for many artists. Shifting art from a canvas to a t-shirt or three-dimensional keepsake provides art lovers with new and fascinating ways to admire their favorite artists’ work.
Masi is a frequent collaborator. One recent project was with La Belle Collab, a French company that encourages artists to curate limited edition clothing lines. Masi’s line features high-end cotton t-shirts adorned with his bright designs. One particularly striking shirt boasts a leafy green house plant that appears to sprout from the back of a man’s head.
Recently Masi also worked with a french telecommunications company called Orange. When Orange partnered with the 2022 Tour de France, they selected Masi to create their primary visual. This partnership gave Masi the chance to design graphics for all kinds of products, including hats, badges, and print ads. His work was even featured on branded vehicles!
More of Masi’s many collaborative projects can be viewed on his website.
What Is In the Future for Masi?
Like many artists, Masi yearns to keep expanding his horizons. The designer is eager to move past digital design and traditional mediums into new territory.
Masi has expressed interest in moving his career off the page and into the 3D world. He hopes to explore new areas like decor, crafts, and even art objects. Art direction and video production are two additional areas he hopes to conquer. Given his work’s style and arresting qualities, these goals seem entirely within the artist’s reach.
More than anything, though, Masi wants to keep collaborating. “I’m dreaming of meeting other people that are passionate about what they do and sharing their knowledge,” he says in an interview with Karalyte.com.
Where Can I See Jérôme Masi’s Art?
Masi opened his first solo exhibition at a Parisian gallery in 2019. Thankfully for those of us who missed it, his art is easily accessible online.
Masi’s Instagram account, @jerome.masi, is a kaleidoscope of color and movement. Many recent posts feature human subjects in the artist’s characteristic style. Some of his figures are shown checking smartphones or skateboarding, while others are portrayed in much stranger and more surreal settings.
Art lovers can also visit jeromemasi.com to view Masi’s work. The website even includes an online shop for those who want to expand their collections. Prints of pieces like Childhood Echoes, White Tigers, and Recto Verso can be purchased directly from the artist.
Outside Folk Gallery
You can explore more folk, street, and outsider art in our personal collection at Outside Folk Art. We’re celebrating these creatives and giving voice to rising black, Native, immigrant, and working mother artisans.
We’ll also be offering pop-up shows and collaborations with small museums, so be sure to follow us to discover the where and when!
The Artist Who’s Living Twice
Jérôme Masi is a complex artist with a fondness for clean lines and a Bauhaus sensibility. Despite this, his work encourages viewers to think about the beautiful chaos and life inside. Like a well-lit house at the end of a dark street, his pieces invite you to sit and stay awhile.
Which of Jérôme Masi’s works is your favorite? Is it possible to pick just one? Let us know!
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